Gears of War 3: Multiplayer Beta Report (hint… it’s spectacular)

The past few days I’ve rushed home from work only to sit in front of the T.V. for hours on end playing the Gears of War 3: Multiplayer Beta. I wasn’t lucky(or popular) enough to get into the friends and family preview last week, but still I did manage to squeeze in a week early due to my purchase of the Bulletstorm “epic” edition. While I did get some hands on time at PAX: East, I didn’t really have a chance to soak up how amazing Gears 3 is really going to be. While it’s still very much “Gears of War”, the folks at Epic have improved on virtually all aspects of the multi-player experience. The weapons seem balanced, the maps are incredible, and the game-play is near flawless. Although players still rely heavily on the Gnasher shotgun, rifles have been improved across the board, and if you’re good with a lancer you can take down two enemies with a single magazine of ammunition. Matches borrow heavily from DICE’s “ticket” system in that you team only has a certain number of respawns… This leads to some incredibly memorable firefights and “last man standing” match-ups. The most exciting aspect of the mutiplayer beta is the addition of unlocks and rewards. While there will be no prestige modes to speak of, players can unlock a variety of characters, weapon skins, and badges for their efforts. From what we understand these unlocks will carry over into the various other multiplayer modes such as the ultra-popular Horde Mode ™. After a few hours of play I unlocked the Anya Stroud character model as well as a few weapon skins and another badges for playing as Anya in the beta. In all honesty I feel as though this beta, while only a fraction of the main game, is nearly worth the price of a full retail game. Well done Epic.

GEARS 3 BETA LAUNCHING ON XBOX LIVE IN APRIL

Enlist in the most explosive gaming event of the spring: the Gears of War 3 Multiplayer Beta!

Get into the Beta by preordering Gears of War 3 through select retailers. The Beta begins April 25 and ends May 15.

For those of you who purchased the Bulletstorm Epic Edition (on Xbox 360 only), you get early access to the Beta, beginning April 18.

Three new multiplayer modes and four exclusive maps will be rolled out during the Beta period — all running on dedicated servers. This is your chance to help shape the most anticipated game of 2011.

In the Beta you can play Team Deathmatch mode on the four new maps (Thrashball, Checkout, Trenches, and Old Town); Capture the Leader and King of the Hill gameplay modes will be added later in the Beta period. Also, be sure to look out for a surprise event weekend that you won’t want to miss.

Not only will you get an early taste of the final chapter in this blockbuster trilogy, but you’ll also have access to exclusive content that you can permanently unlock and carry over to your Gears of War 3 gamer profile when the retail game launches on September 20.

Exclusive Beta Unlockables

Flaming Hammerburst
Complete one match by Sunday, April 24 to permanently unlock.

Flaming Lancer
Complete one match during the week of April 25 to permanently unlock.

Flaming Sawed-Off Shotgun
Complete one match during the week of May 2 to permanently unlock.

Flaming Gnasher Shotgun
Complete one match during the week of May 9 to permanently unlock.

Thrashball Cole — Unlock Thrashball Cole to play as Augustus Cole as he was before Emergence Day — a legendary Thrashball athlete known for his ferocious, flamboyant style.
Complete 50 matches in any game type to unlock for the Beta period.
To permanently unlock, complete 10 matches as Thrashball Cole during the Beta period.

Gold-Plated Retro Lancer — Before the chainsaw bayonet was deployed at the beginning of the Locust-Human War, the original Lancer assault rifle had a large fixed blade.
Complete 90 matches in any game type to unlock for the Beta period.
To permanently unlock, score 100 kills with the Gold-Plated Retro Lancer during the Beta period.

Our spy on the inside managed to send us these shots of the E3 floor before the flood gates were opened. Sadly, shortly after these photos were taken he was dragged off by E3 security and executed in a dark ally. Honor his memory by taking a look at these photos.

This Post Has 7 Comments

helloscientistApril 21, 2011 at 8:53 am

After careful consideration I feel the Gnasher is still used so much because the players are afraid of change. It’s funny reading all of the complaints on the beta forums about the sawed-off and retro lancer being over powered. I think they both fit really well into the game mechanic. The most common complaint from the Gnasher group is that the Sawed-off negates all the years of honing their skills with the Gnasher….it’s a video game….come on! The only tweaking on weapon damage I think needs to be done so far is the Gorgon SMG, just seems a little weak. Overall the multiplayer experience is much more enjoyable and I feel that I can actually contribute to my team with an assault rifle instead of joining the shotgun masses.

As an outsider its really funny to hear you guys talk about players who can’t use the same strategies they’ve been using for the past two games. Why do those players want to spend $60+ for the same experience. That’s the kind of stuff that ruins every online experience — players find the ONE optimal solution and then turn their brains off just to get the most points, or top the leader boards consistently without effort. What’s the fun in that?

Kudos to tuning multiplayer, and to trying out new stuff — not necessarily because it will allow you to win, but because you’re having fun playing a Game!

See you guys in beta on monday.

AshApril 21, 2011 at 11:29 am

Awesome Scott, excited to have you join us. Be prepared to hear a ton of Cole Train impressions… BABY.. Woooooooo!

helloscientistApril 21, 2011 at 1:27 pm

In between all the Anya orgasm sounds. Got the retail gold retro lancer skin this morning. Also experienced some interesting players under the belief that the team should be supporting them the entire time.

helloscientistApril 21, 2011 at 1:25 pm

I always thought that DLC was to add more to a game to give you more of the same experience? But I agree Scott, I don’t want to keep forking out 60 bucks for the same multiplayer experience. That’s the reason the CoD games can’t keep me hooked the same way the Battlefield games have. It may also have something to do with the style of play I prefer.

I’m also by no stretch of the imagination an insider when it comes to Gears of War multiplayer and I certainly came to the stage late for both games. But the standard tactic has been Gnasher shotgun at point blank for the insta-kill, that way no one can steal the kill from you. There are whole websites dedicated to damage dispersal vs range for the weapons too! It’s ridiculous. Granted players are still using the Gnasher tactic it can certainly be countered by any of the assault rifles and the sawed-off.

Nopixie will also be joining the beta Monday, if I can convince her to actually play.

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